Winter Update 2018
Dear friend,
Sorry for the radio silence. It has definitely NOT been silent on our end. In case you missed our facebook announcement on our ministry page, our sweet little boy was born on October 9th at 12:13 am. Simeon Davis Brendle weighed 7 lbs, 9 oz and was 18 inches long. He was named after Simeon in Luke 2, the old prophet who waited at the temple because God revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. His middle name is my mom's maiden name and he was named this to honor my grandfather, Faydlee Davis, who died a year before Simeon was born.
Sim has been quite the handful, as most babies are, and has kept us on our toes! Long, sleepless nights filled with us getting in his face during naps just to make sure he is still breathing (surely this will change if we have a 2nd kid, right?!?) But of course, we would not trade him for the world. He has truly been a blessing to us and we look forward to growing as parents as he continues to grow!
Right now we are on Christmas break. We are very thankful that they schedule holiday breaks into our training time so that we can soak up these last few holidays with our families and loved ones. We are realizing how much we are going to miss these times once we move overseas and are trying to make the most of it while we are here. We are taking mental notes of family traditions that we can try and keep after we move and enjoying the things that we may not have while we still have them. Like the family Christmas tree at my (Kelsey) mom's house ordained with a hodgepodge of family mementos.
I'm gonna be real here. The thought of moving overseas always made us a little nervous before Simeon. It's a long, difficult task. We leave so much that we love behind us for the seemingly unknown. But now that he is here, it's even crazier and scarier to think about. Soo many people have asked us, "Are you taking that baby over there with you?!" I typically just laugh it off and say, "Of course! I could never be away from my sweet baby!" But honestly, in my flesh, I don't want him to go. I can get scared of all the "what-ifs" and terrors that await us. And I think that's okay. We haven't worked out everything just because we are missionaries. That doesn't make us automatically fearless, perfect Christians. We get scared. And I think it's okay to cry out to God and tell him that. Where we are going isn't as beautiful and luxurious as pictures make it out to be. It's a dark place. BUT GOD. We are 100% convinced that the God we serve is worth it. He is worthy of our trust and utter dependence on Him. He is worth going to the ends of the earth to share Him with those who have not previously had the chance to hear about Him and His message of Hope. And frankly, we still need to be reminded of that same message sometimes. Our God goes before us and is with us every step of the way. We trust that He is in control and our family is in the hands of the Creator of the universe.
Praises:
Praise for a healthy delivery and for our sweet baby boy!
Simeon got sick about a month ago and we had to take a trip to the hospital. Praise the Lord that it was nothing too serious and that he has fully recovered!
Prayers:
Simeon has acid reflux. Though this is nothing major, we would still love prayer that he would grow out of it as his body adapts and grows!
Pray for our continued studies and training. We are praying about taking two optional courses. One is a Greek course which would help us when we translate the Bible and the other is a Linguistics course which would help us when we are learning an unwritten language and creating an alphabet. Right now, we think we will only do one if we do any. Please pray for us as we decide and weigh the financial costs, time aspect (one is during the summer, one is an extra six months after we graduate), and what is best for our family and ministry!
Nathan's parents, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephews all came to visit us and celebrate Thanksgiving together!
Our second Thanksgiving dinner this year with our friends and neighbors at the Missionary Training Center!
Kelsey's family all came into town to gift their mom with family photos. It was the first time that we have all had pictures taken together!
Nathan working on one of the apartments at the training center. He absolutely loves being on the carpentry/maintenance team!