Category Archives: Parada kids

September 16, 2015

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Happy anniversary to us!  One year ago we arrived in South Africa to work with YWAM. Most of the year Alberto has been in class (Bible and Counseling), but recently he has started getting involved in local ministry to hurting youth.  We lived in tight quarters for 10 months, surrounded by other YWAMers.  Now we are in a beautiful home with just our family!  It has been a hard year, but a very good year. We are grateful to God and to you, our friends and supporters.  We are excited to see how God will use us in spreading His Good News of salvation to the nations, starting right here with the troubled youth.

Note from Alberto: “How to Stay Afloat in the Storm”

Life these days is like a severe storm, with strong winds that sweep across our everyday existence.  Sometimes we stop and ponder what we are doing on this crazy earth.  We look at others having a good time in their groups as they celebrate the common events of life like birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals.  Superficially, everything looks good. Deep down, however, so many of us are suffering.  As Christians, we pray to God for miracles of healing.  Most of the time, we end up not getting healed and instead ask ourselves, “Why?”  It is hard to be thankful when we pray for a healing in someone and instead the person dies.  We know we prayed in faith according to the Spirit that is within us.  The only satisfying thing we will have in our hearts is knowing we had the privilege to pray for that person.  We know that our salvation is more important than healing from earthly circumstances.

Jesus wants to be our first resource.  Let’s come to Him because we love Him, and not because we want something from Him.  Let’s pray for those who do not know Jesus yet, as our eternal healing is more important than our physical healing.

Please let me encourage you with Isaiah 43 as you continue through the storm: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Thank you very much for the different aspects of support you have given our family.  We are faithfully here in South Africa building the kingdom of God in troubled youth and their families.  God bless your humble and generous hearts.

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People come to study at our YWAM base from all over the world, and return home empowered with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  We recently celebrated an evening entitled “Voice of the Nations.” YWAMers from many nations shared their culture through song, dance and a parade of flags.

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Happy 16th birthday to Isaac!  He is growing and maturing before our very eyes.  Here he is pictured with his two best friends.  Three boys, three nations.

He had a wonderful month back in the U.S. at camp, and has just started homeschooling using Veritas Press’s online classes.  This is a classical Christian curriculum that we have used on and off over the years.  Isaac was getting too frustrated in the local school, thus the change.  I am happy to have him home again, and his classes are pretty amazing!

DTS (Discipleship Training School) is YWAM’s signature course which comprises 3 months of discipleship training and 2 months of outreach. DTS students recently returned from outreach in Tanzania, while another team just left for Kenya and Swaziland.  Exciting days!

July 28, 2015

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Praise God for our house!  Thank you to all of you for your prayers and financial support which made this possible.  It is very exciting to finally unpack and start to feel settled.

South Africa is cold!  With temperatures just above freezing at night, and in the 50’s during the day, we are cold most of the time.  There is no heat, but we have a fireplace to huddle around.  Our house also has an indoor barbecue area, which is typical for Afrikaans homes in this area.  Now we can cook over the open fire when we are cold and when the power goes out (which renders our electric stove useless).

Along with working with boys in the community, Alberto has also started visiting a rehab center where men are recovering from their addictions to alcohol/drugs.  These men are very thirsty for answers in their lives, and are very receptive to hearing about God’s unfailing love and forgiveness.  Most of them have never had access to a Bible or stepped foot into a church.

Picture Captions:

Some neighbors came by with this cake! Afrikaans is the preferred language here, so the sooner we learn it the better! (Isaac, Margaret and I just finished our second term of Afrikaans!)

Isaac left for the U.S. for a month of camping at Camp Brookwoods, made possible through a generous scholarship! It was his first time traveling alone internationally.  He is pictured above in Boston.  He is coming back this week!

Cape of Good Hope, at the tip of South Africa, is where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias first rounded the Cape in 1488, thereby opening trade with the Far East.  Many boats have crashed on the rocky coast and choppy waters.  Included in our picture is Lydia Bruce, who came from Boston to visit Ana!

We had an outdoor service at YWAM, to publicly declare God’s sovereignty over the base.  Dinner was also served. Potjie is a typical meal here, which is a stew cooked over the open fire in large cast-iron pots.

Phoebe’s favorite place is the kitchen. Here she is pictured helping make rice for the community outreach.

Some of the boys Alberto is befriending.

We met up with the Park Street Church short-term mission team, who came to spread God’s Word in the prisons. Andrew and Anne May were the hosts. It was a very cold night, but wonderful to see friends!

Prayer Requests/Praises

  • Praise God for His provision of housing.
  • Praise God for a good school break for the kids.
  • Pray for the boys Alberto is working with, that they can know the hope of Christ, and live lives of hope, despite their destitute circumstances.
  • Pray for the kids as they return to school and continue to adapt to a different style of eduction.
  • Pray for Ana who graduates later this year, and is considering many different options.
  • Pray for a muscle I pulled in my shoulder right before we moved. The timing was very inconvenient.

May 1, 2015

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Thank you for all your prayers and emails concerning the robberies on the YWAM base. With 75% unemployment among young black South African men, thievery is far too common.  On a national scale, there has also been increased crime against foreigners pouring into South Africans from neighboring countries in search of employment.  Many lost their lives in the most recent xenophobic attacks.  Some say not much has changed since apartheid ended 21 years ago.  Race relations are tense, and inequality rampant.

We as Christians need to be an example to the rest of South Africa.  Here on the YWAM base, we represent 33 nations.  Just last night we had a worship time when people from each continent were asked to spontaneously worship God in their language and dance.  It was a beautiful sight to see the differing cultures worshipping the one true God!  I don’t know who were louder: the Africans or South Americans!

Alberto has finished his counseling course!  He is happy to be done with the classroom requirements.  These next two months will be spent in practical outreach.  His assignment this past week was to work with 10-14 year old Coloured boys in their neighborhood.  The boys live a bleak existence, and are actively recruited by the gangs.  Alberto has a heart for these kids, to see them stand strong for Jesus in an environment that will test them.  At this time, he is the only one working with the boys, as the rest of his (female) team is working with young girls.

Alberto and I just completed a marriage course, which strengthened our own marriage and gave us the tools to help others with theirs!

Ana celebrated her 18th birthday!  She graduates from high school in October.  She recently participated in her school’s beauty pageant.

Prayer

  • Join us in praying for the crisis in Nepal, and tense racial relations here in South Africa.
  • Please continue to pray for our housing.  The most recent house we applied for (there have been many) seems to be a real possibility!

Contacts

Feb 27, 2015

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Pictured above are our beloved friends and mentors David and Deborah Bliss (middle). They inspired us to become missionaries at a Park Street Church missions conference 16 years ago.  It has been a long and adventurous road, but by God’s grace, we are here and ready to serve!  They are retiring shortly from their role at the Andrew Murray Centre in neighboring Wellington.  Also pictured above (on the left) is our missions pastor Julian Linnell, who came for the retirement celebration and to visit us!

School has been back in session for a month now. Alberto is taking YWAM’s counseling class “Foundations for Counseling and Ministries.”  He is really enjoying this practical class, which is giving him much insights into how to actively listen to and hear what people are saying, and how to be an instrument of God’s healing.  He will be in the classroom until mid-April, when his two-month practicum starts.  Alberto and I are also taking a weekly marriage enrichment class, which has been lots of fun, and very helpful.

Please continue to pray for us in regard to full-time ministry opportunities.  While Alberto is studying full-time this year, starting next year he can begin full-time ministry.  We have various opportunities to work with disadvantaged youth, but we need to clearly hear from God.  We are also enlisting the help of YWAM and the mid-term missions committee at Park Street Church.

Ana is having a busy senior year at the local high school.  She tried out for a beauty/talent contest, so is now designing and making a number of specified outfits for a show next month.

Isaac is in 10th grade this year, and recently started playing field hockey (also a boy’s sport here).  He is goalie!

Margaret is in 5th grade, and is attending the elementary school here on the YWAM base.

Phoebe has had a few ups and downs with her blood sugar levels, but is fine now.  We now have a good team of local doctors on hand, which is helpful.  We also have some names of recommended therapists in town, which we are excited to pursue.

I am also taking a class this term!  Afrikaans!  Alberto, Isaac, Margaret and I are in Level One!  I am hoping that I will finally be able to get beyond greetings now!

October 8, 2014

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We have been here a month already, in a land more beautiful than I imagined, but so needy!  “God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.”  (Ps 9:18) He has heard their cry.

We are so excited to be with YWAM.  We are soaking in the Christian community and preparing ourselves to be launched into ministry next year.  Thank you to all of you who have made this possible.  Thank you to God for this opportunity!

Alberto has the privilege of taking the Bible Core Class which immerses him in the Word of God day and night.  Understanding the depth of God’s love for all people and His gracious plan for salvation is an overpowering realization.  Alberto is actually itching to get into the communities to pour himself into the at-risk young men and share this message of hope!  But for the time being, it is preparation time!

We happen to live right next door to Alberto’s teacher, who is a South African Colored lady.  Her husband is the liaison between YWAM and ministries targeting the Colored community, which also happens to be our target community.  Having them next door is a blessing, and something God has orchestrated.

We live in a community house on the YWAM base along with 12 other families. Each family has one or two bedrooms. 11 nations are represented. Such wealth of cultures shows me different sides of God’s character.  Our worship services are amazing, with the Nigerian drummers and Brazilian guitar players!  The kitchen is another exciting place.

We celebrated our first warm day with a barbecue (braii, as it is called here!)

Prayer Requests:

  • For God to draw us closer to Himself, and use us for His glory
  • Safety and protection against crime
  • Guidance about the kids’ grade assignments
  • A vehicle
  • Extra grace (and/or space) as we live in two rooms!

Ana and Isaac are attending the local public Worcester high school, and are adorned here in their new uniforms (minus Isaac’s tie!)  They are finishing up grade 11 and 9 respectively, and are taking Afrikaans!

Margaret is finishing up grade 5 at the Christian school.

Phoebe is as sweet as ever!

May 23, 2014

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We are the Parada family, preparing to go to South Africa this August as missionaries with YWAM.  We are busily finishing up the school year, purging ourselves of all the things that we can live without, and getting our house ready to rent.

But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.” Psalm 9:18

We plan to work with poor and afflicted youth in South Africa.  They are close to God’s heart.  God has not forgotten them, and nor have we.  Their cry has been heard, and there is hope– the hope we have in Christ.

There are many lingering injustices in post-apartheid South Africa, and sometimes it is hard to see where God is.  God is there though, as is the church, the body of Christ.  We as the church need to use our voice and our hands.  “God bless Africa–guard our children, guide our leaders, and grant us peace” is a South African prayer.

In looking ahead to life in South Africa, we are finding many open doors.  YWAM will offer us housing, classes and ministry opportunities.  There are some good school options for the kids.  We have connected with doctors for Phoebe, and are even in email contact with her new Down syndrome doctor in Cape Town.

Please keep us in prayer these last few months as we prepare ourselves for the big move in August.  Please pray that all our finances will come in a timely manner.  God has been so faithful in rising up partners, for which we are grateful and humbled.  This has been an amazing testimony of God’s faithfulness as we depend on Him in every area of our lives. The stories we have of how God has met us at every single turn is truly a testimony and reminder of how He will provide for us when we submit ourselves to Him.

Phoebe

Thank you to all of you who expressed love and concern for Phoebe after her recent diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. The original proposed schedule of seven to ten shots a day has actually been reduced to two shots a day.  Phoebe is very patient with the blood draws from the tips of her fingers and the shots.  Her blood sugar levels are now stabilized, which means she does not have huge sugar swings affecting her energy levels. She has also put on a few pounds!

Video

This video (https://vimeo.com/91142031) allowed us to share our vision for South Africa in seven minutes. We showed it at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Washington.

Here is the link to a shorter three minute version: https://vimeo.com/m/93854896 which we showed at Park Street Church and First Presbyterian Church.

Fundraising Update

We reached our goal of 60% for ongoing expenses by May 1!  Praise God!  Our next goal is 75% by June 10.  Our one-time budget for moving us to South Africa is 78%.

Thank you to all of you for partnering with us in this area! Your role as senders is so valuable.  You are participating with us in fulfilling the Great Commission.

The Parada Kids

Ana just got her driver’s permit! She is also taking AP Spanish and Psychology exams. (Psych is today!)

Isaac is presently taking his final exams.  He enjoyed playing lacrosse this spring!  He made honor roll last period.

Margaret is swimming at the Y.  She has another month of school, which she is not happy about!

Phoebe lost her first tooth, and turns 7 next week!

Words from Alberto

Spring is here!  Again we can see God’s faithfulness in the return of longer days, beautiful flowers, singing birds, and aromatic cookouts.  It seems like we have all the ingredients to start over again.  Winter is behind us.  Through the renewal of the seasons, God reminds us that it is time to renew our minds. (Rms 12:2)

I know we all have a lot of challenges, but God wants us to equip ourselves with the mind of Christ.  Only then will we be able to speak to our problems with His authority and ride the wave of the Holy Spirit.  We will always have challenges and trials, but these let us know that it is time to get back to our first love.  God is always waiting for us with open arms.  (1 Pet 1:13)

How to Support the Parada Family

Please visit our website at paradas.org/giving for giving instructions through our church.

Isaac set up a GoFundMe account for people who prefer to not contribute through our church.  The link is here.

Church Sharing

We had a fantastic time in the DC area over Easter last month.  We reconnected with friends from the First Baptist Church of Washington DC (Primera Iglesia Bautista de Washington), many of whom we hadn’t seen since leaving DC 18 years ago!  We were honored to be able to share our South Africa vision during the Easter service.  We also saw Alberto’s two brothers, cousin, and some other friends.  It was a busy week on the road!

This past Sunday, we shared at our friend Jason Sentas’s church here in Quincy. First Presbyterian Church gave us a warm welcome, and our connections with the body of Christ have widened.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for us as we prepare to sell our vehicles and rent our house. We are also researching plane tickets, health insurance in South Africa, and a host of other details involved in an international move! You can only imagine!

YWAM

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) ministries target needy youth: orphans, street children, teenagers who have dropped out of school, youth affected by AIDS/HIV/TB, and children of broken families.

The goal is to empower young people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Practically this is done through relationships and time, and through addressing some basic human needs.

We will spend our first year in Bible and counseling classes, and the following years in ministry to hurting youth.

Read more about YWAM’s ministries here.

Contact Us

Please contact us with any questions.

Our website is www.paradas.org.

April 17, 2014

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Mission to South Africa 2014

We are the Parada family, preparing to go to South Africa this summer as missionaries with YWAM.

Phoebe

Our biggest update is that Phoebe now has diabetes. Diabetes is an inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin to break down sugars, resulting in high blood sugar levels.  Diabetes is treated by injecting insulin and adapting the diet.  Phoebe is now on insulin, which has stabilized her blood sugar levels.  Her diet was near perfect before, so no change there necessary.

Phoebe is patient with the whole finger-pricking procedure, and doing well with the injections.  She continues to amaze us with her happy spirit, and ability to live completely in the present.  Please keep her in your prayers though.

Although this is a big surprise to us, we can clearly see God’s hand of provision and protection.  We were able to catch it early, so Phoebe never got sick.  (A nurse at Phoebe’s oxygen therapy suspected it when I told her Phoebe was extremely thirsty and was peeing frequently. She did an immediate finger prick to test her blood sugar levels.) Diabetes can be sudden-onset, so we are grateful it happened now, and not right before our departure for South Africa.

When I asked the doctor if he thought we could move as planned, he assured us that we could.  He even said that the head of Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital is South African, and would surely help us with contacts in South Africa.  So, I booked our follow-up with him!

To give you some background, children with Down syndrome are at high risk for auto-immune challenges such thyroid problems, diabetes, and celiac (wheat intolerance). Phoebe already has thyroid issues and is on a gluten-free diet, so the diabetes part is the last of the three challenges.  The doctors can foresee no other challenges for Phoebe at present.

We know God uses all things for His glory, so we know this will be no exception.  We live in a hurting world, and God does not promise us exemption from life’s trials.  He does promise to be with us though, and to use the circumstances in our lives for His glory. We now have a window into the lives of diabetics.  Our medical repertoire has certainly increased over the years!

Video

Our video is done!  It’s seven minutes!  Just click this link: https://vimeo.com/91142031  A big thank you to Noël Barlow and Kelly Arnold for your amazing work!

Fundraising Update

We reached our goal of 50% for ongoing expenses by April 1!  Praise God!  Our next goal is 60% by May 1. Our one-time budget is 67%.

Thank you to all of you for partnering with us in this area! Your role as senders is so valuable.  You are participating with us in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Family Update

Ana turned 17 on April 9.  We are so grateful for her cheerful spirit.  She got a camera for her birthday, which she hopes to use to document life around her, both here and in South Africa.  Many of the pictures used in our video were taken by Ana on her trip to South Africa through Boston Trinity Academy two years ago.

Margaret sang in Park Street’s Cantata at church recently.

Words from Alberto

I try to imagine seeing Jesus at the desert: fasting, praying, suffering for me and for you. Just when we were dead in our sinful ways with no direction to go, our Lord Jesus had mercy on me.  I feel like I am a very weak man compared to the courage Jesus showed. During this time of Lent I have been realizing how good life is and how I need to exercise my spiritual muscles, as I haven’t experienced real pain yet. I pray that the Lord will help us to live in a way that responds to and honors the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.

Happy Easter

May the joy of the risen Lord be with you this Easter!  In Him we have victory.  He is the light that overcame the darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:5)

Washington DC (area)

We head there tomorrow!  We will spend Easter with our friends at the Spanish congregation in Maryland, and visit friends and Alberto’s brothers in Washington DC and Virginia. We are looking forward to being there!

March 19, 2014

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We are the Parada family, preparing to go to South Africa this summer as missionaries with YWAM, which you can read about below.  We have worked with YWAM before, and love their passion for Jesus!

Cape Coloureds

Last update we wrote about our desire to work with youth who live in poverty and are affected by AIDS.  The plight of these kids breaks our hearts.  The race of many of these kids is “Coloured.”  The Coloured people could arguably be the most needy people in South Africa.

The Coloured community has descended from a mix of black Africans, Malaysians slaves, and white settlers.  Yet they have faced rejection from black, Asian and white groups in South Africa.  Because the Coloured community has an ancestry that is mixed, they have lost their individual ancestral heritages. They have adopted a language that is not their own, Afrikaans, which was equated with being the language of the oppressor.  Legally oppressed for so many years, these people have succumbed to alcoholism, crime and AIDS.  Yet God loves them fervently, and it is our desire to work with them.  

Fundraising

We are excited to announce that we have raised 60% of our outgoing expenses!  Thank you to all of you for partnering with us in this area! Our ongoing support levels are at 43%. Ongoing support covers our monthly expenses. Our goal is to reach 50% by April 1. Please pray about your involvement!

Isaiah 61:1-2

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God…

Youth With A Mission

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) ministries target needy youth: orphans, street children, teenagers who have dropped out of school, youth affected by AIDS/HIV/TB, and children of broken families. The goal is to empower young people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Practically this is done through relationships and time, and through addressing some basic human needs. We will spend our first year in Bible and counseling classes, and the following years in ministry to hurting youth.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for us as we continue to fundraise, for full provision of our needs, for peace during the process, for our eyes not to stray from Jesus, and for all the details to get sorted out before we leave.

Praises

Alberto’s permanent residency document arrived in the mail! He also recently received a clean bill of health after an episode of headaches.

In Progress

The video has been filmed and is currently being edited.  I’ll share the link when it is ready! We have lots of small group meetings planned, and invitations from three churches. Please pray for us as we share with them!

Parada Kid News

Phoebe recently received her Bible at Park Street during the First grade Bible presentation.  National Down Syndrome Day is March 21.  Please join us in celebrating Phoebe’s life with Down syndrome. Please pray for her potty-training!

Isaac has started lacrosse at Boston Trinity Academy.  This is a new sport for him, and he is very excited!

Ana is enjoying homeschooling again.  Alberto and Ana have returned from El Salvador, where they visited Alberto’s extended family.  I am happy to have them home again!

Margaret is in the middle of MCAS testing, something completely new to all of us!

Feb 14, 2014

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“But be doers of the Word, and not just hearers, deceiving yourselves,” says James 1:22. A few verses later it says “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (v. 27)These verses speak clearly to us to put our faith into action.  In a country with over 3 million AIDS orphans and almost a quarter million child-headed households, we need to take action!  Please keep us in prayer as we prepare to minister to youth at risk.

Fundraising Update

We are excited to announce that we have raised 50% of our outgoing expenses!  Thank you to all of you for partnering with us in this area!

Our ongoing support levels are at 30%. Ongoing support covers our monthly expenses. Our goal is to reach 50% by April 1.
In Progress

Friends are making a video of us, that we can share with small groups and churches.We recently had a positive meeting with members of the mid-term committee.

We have a few more local church visits planned, and an invitation from a church close to our hearts in Maryland.

Look out for our upcoming Facebook page.  We’ll keep you posted.
 YWAM

YWAM ministries target needy youth: street children, teenagers who have dropped out of school, youth affected by AIDS/HIV/TB, and children of broken families.The goal is to empower young people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Practically, this is done through relationships and time; and through such projects as community development, Biblical training and mentoring, soup kitchens, soccer clinics, etc.

Read more about YWAM’s ministries here.
Have Frequent Flyer Miles you want to donate?  Please contact us!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  May God bless you all!
Travel Plans

We are researching airline tickets to South Africa!Alberto’s permanent visa for South Africa was granted!  We applied 4 years ago!  (The children and I can enter South Africa on South African passports, which we recently acquired. We were eligible for passports, since my parents are South African.)

We have started selling our furniture in preparation to rent our house in June.
El Salvador

Alberto and Ana left for El Salvador on Sunday.  They will be there for 3 weeks visiting Alberto’s family. Pictured above is Ana and her cousin Milena.
 How to Support the Parada Family

Here are ways to pledge:

  • Email us to tell us that you want to make a monthly, quarterly or annual pledge; OR
  • Complete this online pledge form, which comes directly to us.

Then, you can send in your support:

  • Write a check: drop it in the offering plate (designate Parada), or mail it regularly to Park Street Church; OR
  • Give online: through Park Street’s online giving page.

Isaac also set up a GoFundMe account, for people who prefer to not contribute through our church. The link is here.

Dec 29, 2013

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Happy New Year to you all!  Thank you for your support this past year.  This upcoming year is going to be an exciting one!  We pray for God’s blessings on each of you.

I’m highlighting our children this email.  They are looking forward to going to South Africa next summer, and have been a huge source of encouragement and help in our fundraising and preparations.
  Ana

Ana had a demanding semester as a junior at Boston Trinity Academy.  Math and AP Psychology were her hardest classes, while AP Spanish was her favorite.  Ana has enjoyed making jewelry in her very-limited free time, and has knit a few scarves. She loves spending time with her friends, and loves listening to music. She misses being homeschooled.
  Isaac

Isaac is now a high school student too!  The first semester of his freshmen year has also been challenging.  Humanities was his best class, and behaving in choir was his biggest challenge.  He played varsity soccer this fall, which he really enjoyed.  At home, Isaac is either keeping us all entertained, or asking thought-provoking questions.
  Margaret

Margaret did not want to be left out of attending school, so she began school for the first time in September.  She is in 4th grade at Quincy Public Schools, and is getting used to different teaching personalities.  She is a good student, and the experience has been positive overall.  Margaret continues to love to read, and is now playing the flute!  She is a big help with Phoebe, for which I am grateful!
  Phoebe

Phoebe is attending a half-day program at Quincy Public Schools, although is in a different school from Margaret. Her teacher is wonderful, so that is a huge blessing.  She is home by noon, so that means I don’t have to part for her for long!  She continues to be the favorite family member, as she is loving and holds no grudges!  Quite an example for the rest of us!  Her speech continues to improve, but is a continued prayer request.