Jessica's Perspective :)

Hi Family and Friends! I miss each of you a whole lot! Amarillo, is not a bad city. I am enjoying the church and school a whole lot. I am not leading GA's on Wednesday nights for the 6th grade class. Below you'll see a pic of our GA group. They are really fun to hang out with each week. I have about 12 girls on a regular basis and up until last week I was in there by myself. The regular teacher has to be out this semester because she is taking a class at West TX A&M. I now have the help of a sweet parent named Kami.



I was really disappointed in the weekend in Glorietta. I had really wished that we would instantly meet a couple with whome we would become fast friends. We didn't...but it sure did teach me something! Relationships take alot of time...I know we'll make friends eventually. We have been invited to two couples' homes over the past couple of weeks. The first one was the children's minister who served two ministers ago for 10 years. She became very ill and had to resign her position, but is well now. She and her husband, Linda and Clay, were very kind to us. We stayed from 6:30 to 10pm! I think they will be a good support for us. Another couple invited us over. Cliff said yes and we had no clue who they were! I was a bit freaked out by this, but it turned out great. We looked them up in the directory so at least we'd know what they looked like. They were a prescious couple...both licensed social workers! They have two grown children, one who is a missionary. I guess they knew we'd be lonely and would enjoy some company. I hope we get to know them a little better.



School at WT is going great. I really don't like my Research class that I go to 3 times a week, but my two night classes are very interesting. I have a ton of reading to do each week. This weekend I have more work than I have yet...a 3-5 page paper, case presentation and two other papers to write before the beginning of the week. Don't worry, I've already got 1/2 of it done!! I haven't procrastinated too badly yet.



I am so proud of Cliff! I wish you all could see how great he is doing here. There are definitely some challenges to overcome with the way things have ALWAYS been done, but he is being veyr patient and diplomatic. He's so good at buttering up those older ladies! It is fun to watch him enjoy his days at the church. We are so thankful for God's faithfulness to us.



O! And we sold our house yesterday...it's all final! Praise the Lord!!! I mourn for that place more than I ever thought I would. I think it will be a while before I'm over that loss! ;) I still am in wonder at why God would have given us such an amazing home right off the bat! I guess His goodness doesn't end there though, more great stuff to come!

Tues Night in Amarillo

Well I promise to try and make these blogs a little more often. Once a week just is not cutting it. Besides that when I get ready to type so much has happened since last time.

We had a pretty good weekend in Glorietta, NM. FBC Amarillo has an amazing lodge out there. Jess and I definitely want to plan a trip out there with family and friends. One of the "perks" to being on staff is that we can use it whenever we would like as long as there is not a church group there. The cabin has a big room that can be used for conferences but is set up with couches and tables for food. There is a side room with 2 ping pong tables, and a great big kitchen. There are probably 20 individual rooms that are nicer than some hotels that I have stayed in. There are also two rooms full of bunks that you can sleep over 100 people in. All that to say it is stinkin amazing and you have got to see it.

As far as the weekend we were a little out of place since everyone else there have been married for at least 5 years and are having there second child if not there third or fourth. We did have a great time Saturday walking around downtown Santa Fe, that is one crazy place.

To top everything off we finished the weekend with a Sunday evening organ concert at church. Don't get me wrong, I love the organ and I think it is really cool that people can play it, but after about 2 or 3 songs I start checking out. The only thing that got me through is watching other people, either dying or totally into it. My favorite person was the lady that was about 10 seats over from me in the balcony. She spent most of her time watching the organist through a pair of BINOCULARS. I am telling you I could spit and hit the guy in the back of the head, but the lady used binoculars.

Well I am wrapping up another night at the coffee shop. I hope everyone is well, and I PROMISE to update soon!

Sunday Night

We had a "Get to know Cliff and Jessica Party" last night. We had a great time with the kids playing games and eating A banana split. We had almost 70 kids come out. I count it a great success, that it unless we all come down with the same disease!!








This is my friend Sarah, she accepted Christ at camp this past year and was baptized last night.









All in all it was a GREAT day!

Its a Monday

Well today has been crazy from start to finish. I was in meetings all but about 2 1/2 hours today. They were all good and felt productive, but I really did not get anything thing else done. I am looking forward to tomorrow so that I can get some more things done.

Overall the weekend was pretty good. We had a good time at the football game Friday night. There were a lot of people there, but it still did not compare to the complete craziness of Brownwood football. We wasted about an hour of our lives waiting to get out. From now on we will be leaving early or waiting for everyone else to leave.

The training on Saturday was, well it was...yeah just like that. The highlight of the time was when an older lady from another church started describing this amazing game that she plays with her kids at church. She went on and on about it before she told us it was the game "spoons." Many of my Sunday School teachers got a good kick out of it. In fact so much that I started laughing in the back and another Children's Minister in the group came back and apologized for her worker and her crazy talk. It was a good connecting point for me and some of my workers, except they all want to adapt it to play forks.

God continues to help us settle in here. I had a fourth grade Sunday School class yesterday that within the group of 20 children there were 5 different nationalities represented. God is so awesome. We actually had one little girl in the class that could not speak or understand English. She just sat there and listened. She smiled at me and I smiled back.

Just to let you know it is about 53 degrees right now and it is suppose to drop to 50 for the night. This weather may be interesting!

Another Busy Week

Well although Jess and I were both off on Monday, it seems like that has been forever ago. There have been so many thing going on this week. I have been so busy at the office. There are still so many things that I want to know.

As I am learning more I am able to see some small problems that can be fixed rather easily. Thiat week I realized that as a children's ministry we send out at least 4 or 5 postcards a week to the kids. Just the idea of that drives me crazy, but apparently everyone is use to it. I am in the process of gathering parents emails so that we can do a monthly newsletter and hopefully cut down on those things. Who knows how much money we waste on that alone.

Today I am getting ready for a Sunday School training that we have at the church in the morning. I hope it goes well. I am concerned since I do not really know the lady that is leading the children's area. Hopefully nothing too crazy will be said or done.

On another note if the rain holds off today Jessica and I are going to take in our first panhandle football game tonight. Most of the staff at the church are going to go, so it is going to be a really good time.

Well I look forward to talking to you soon, I hope you have a blessed day!

Relaxing Weekend

It really has been a nice and relaxing weekend. There really has not been too much going on. Today we have just been relaxing and running some errands. Last night we went over to the youth ministers house for ice cream and some wii (video game).

Friday I made the greatest discovery about living in a bigger town. There is nothing better than the dollar theater. I took an official oath to never go and pay outrageous prices at the regular theater again. I will forever more be out of the loop for a couple of months so I can go to the dollar theater. Sounds cheap I know but nothing beats the greatness of cheap prices, sticky floors, and only three other people in the theater.

The scripture reading and prayer went well yesterday. We had a total of thirteen people join the church, it truly was an amazing day. God is so good!

Jessica and I pray that you all have a blessed week!