Laura's Blog

psalm96three

• Loading the container
  Monday, January 16 we loaded our container that is heading to Vanuatu.  It then made its way to Vancouver to be cleared through customs, and then ship out over the Pacific.  It was scheduled to leave January 25 but the carrier was delayed so as far as we know, it headed out Friday, Feb 3.  We're happy with it arriving later than scheduled (March 23) in Vanuatu so we have more time to prepare for its coming!  I want to thank all of you who gave toward my Outgoing account over the last few years to make it possible to pay for this shipping and all the items inside and a HUGE thank you too to all of you who helped with loading it.  The truck driver heard what we were loading and imagined it would take us all day, even though he mistakenly thought we'd done this many times before!  By God's grace the container was loaded and ready to head out to Washington in only 5 hours 5 minutes.  It was a COLD cold day so I am especially thankful that all our loaders from Grace Bible stuck it out and were such a huge help to us. We thank God for you!!!
  

  Free digital slideshow created with Smilebox

  
  
  
  
• Container prep and sending off
  January was a crazy month getting last-minute things shipped to us in preparation of packing up our container to send to Vanuatu and taking care of all the paperwork for shipping.  We are so grateful to New Tribes Mission and Friends in Action who put together a solar system package for us and got it shipped out just in time for us to pack up!  Our solar batteries arrived damaged but they were great and quickly sent out new ones that we got in new condition on the very last day possible.  Whew, thanks God!
  
  
   Apparently what happened is the trucking company packed some sort of rod of iron later after all our stuff was on its way that fell and managed to make connection with every single terminal in addition to busting through the cases!  Fortunately, we and the organizations we bought this from aren't responsible for the damages!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   A lot of our boxes got beat up too, but fortunately the items within them are ok so we didn't have to have any of these re-shipped to us.
  
  
   Praise God, the panels made it safe and sound!
  
  
  We packed the container with heavy-duty totes for our small loose items and then for larger loose items, Houghton and my dad spent several days making 4x4 crates.  Having these allowed a much easier and faster pack up since there were fewer loose individual items to go in the container.
  
  
   Praise God for the donation of this 4-wheeler and the extra parts put on it!  This will be SO useful to us in Vanuatu, especially in getting our items from the cargo boats that'll bring our things in shifts to Ambrym island and drop things off about a 45 minute walk from our village.
  
  
   Crating this made it possible to pack it right up close to other items and also to pack things on top of it.
  
  
   The crates for all the other loose items.
  
  
  
  
   We are also thankful for a milder winter than last year that allowed these things to be built for the container.
  
  
   The trailer this is sitting on is what the 4-wheeler will pull with all our items inside once we're on Ambrym!
  
  
  Grace Bible Church in Miles City gave us a great sending off.  We were given both morning services to share in and an evening service to show pictures, answer questions, and give updates on what God is doing in the ministry in Vanuatu.  We are so grateful for all our supporting individuals and churches and for our main sending church, Grace Bible!
  
  
   They had just put in these new screens the few days before our presentation so it was great to have such a high-tech way to show off what God is doing!
  
  
   The church board prayed for us as we go back to Vanuatu again.  It's a huge blessing to have you guys behind us in prayer.  Thank you so much!
  
  
   Dad and Clyde showing off the new t-shirts.  :)  We love the shameless advertising.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Christmas, Si's birthday, and a partridge in a pear tree
  Jesiah celebrated his 7th birthday in December!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We had his celebration at my parents' house and also had Christmas Eve with them.  Hought and Gretch and kids were in Terry for Christmas so just my parents and I hung out Christmas day.  It's been great celebrating holidays with family and enjoying quality time together.
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
   Addy got sea monkeys so my parents will babysit them and report on their progress while we're away.  :)
  
  
  Here's some more pics to add to posts from before (kids programs and canning).
  
  
   
   
   
   
  And then there's some other random events.
  
  Dad putting my nightstand together.
  
   Me typing Sunday School and Lay Bible Institute notes for my mom when she had carpel tunnel surgery.  Please pray for her hand to heal fully, by the way, she's having some problems with it still.
  
  
   
   
   Gretch and I were able to sing together at church one Sunday, which was a lot of fun.
  
  
   
   Dad drew up plans for our duplex in Vanuatu so that we were able to purchase the appropriate building supplies to put in our container.
  
  
   
   Houghton doing surgery on my ganglion cyst.  :)
  
  
  which of course draws a crowd
  
   
   
  Jesiah at play...his last few weeks at public school for several years!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Our work these days
  The last few months we've spent purchasing items for Vanuatu, packing, and doing lots and lots of paperwork and admin for exporting everything overseas.  On Monday, we have what's called a "live load" of our items to the container we'll be shipping to Vanuatu.  A semi will come in the morning and we have 2 free hours to load, then when we've finished, the driver will haul all our items to Vancouver, where they ship out a few days after US customs clears everything, Lord-willing.  It has been quite a learning curve to do this but if anyone needs to ship a container overseas, let us know because we'll be experts by the time this is all done!  Please pray as there are some outstanding items to be resolved still for everything to come together.
  
  Houghton trying out a mattress sample at Costco.
  
   Piles of paperwork.
  
   Organizing more paperwork!
  
   Packing the crates that will go in our container.  Hooray for Houghton and my dad for building these and making just enough so it all fits good!
  
  
   When we were inventorying everything and packing the crates, Gretchen needed warmer feet so she put on my gloves...  :)  She reported that they did the trick!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Outings
  We've had a few fun family things this winter.  First, I went with Hought and Gretch to take some family pictures for them at the river.
  
  
  
  
   
  One of the sleepovers I had with Gwen, my mom had one night to use up a free blizzard at Dairy Queen so she treated us - yum!
  
   
   
   
  All year I've been wanting to go to a basketball game so we went to the high school boys game.  Honestly it was a terrible game, but we still had a good time.  Gweny was transfixed by the cheerleaders...
  
  My nieces and nephew had Christmas programs for their schools so it was fun to see them with their classmates singing and quoting poems.
  
  Hanging out with my mom.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Canning take 2
  We got another opportunity in December to practice canning again before packing our stuff for Vanuatu.  This time we tried some new recipes and to can meat too.   Haha, look at us, apparently we're all coordinating!  I'm just really thankful for my mom and her expertise and help with this stuff and her servant's heart in doing all this with us!
  
  
   Spiced apples and beef roast.
  
   Roast and hamburger.  It looks disgusting but it tastes awesome!
  
  
  
  
  
• God's faithfulness throughout generations
  I've had graduation pictures of my grandparents and parents for years and always wanted to do something with them so I finally followed through this year.  Unique Creations in Miles City did this awesome job for me!
  
  
   My dad, me, Gretchen, and my mom.
  
   I had this plaque put in the middle as a testimony to God's faithfulness throughout the generations of my family.  All my grandparents are/were Christians, my parents are Christians, and my sister and I are believers too.  I am thankful for the witness each generation has been to the next of our Great God!  I can only pray that Gretchen and I are as faithful in passing on the knowledge of God to the next generation.
  
  
   Paternal grandparents: Jim & Betty Lou Thulesen.
  
  Maternal grandparents:  Marvin & Eunice Benhardus.
   
  
  
  
  
• Thanksgiving
  For Thanksgiving we got to celebrate with my dad's side of the family in Sheridan, WY.  The whole crew stayed and my uncle Mike and aunt Libby's.  We had an awesome time hanging out, doing crafts, and eating of course! We also got to see our friends Rollie and Bev for the first time since we went overseas, which was great!
  
  Uncle John & Aunt Karen, Grandpa & grandma, Uncle Mike & Aunt Libby, Dad & Mom, Me, Houghton, Gretchen, Addy, Gwen & Si.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Good snow for snowmen!
  
  
   
   
   
   
   Aunt Karen & Aunt Libby playing a jewelry game with the kids.
  
  
  At the Christmas stroll.
  
   
   On the hayride.
  
  
   My Aunt Libby (2nd from R) is in a bell choir and played at the bank so we got to go listen.
  
  
   
   
   
   We made jewelry together.
  
  
   
   
   Turkeys and deer abound in Sheridan and were walking around in people's yards!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Florida training 10-11
  In Florida in October, we did orientation with Wycliffe. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know others who attended with us and hearing their stories of how God led them to be involved in missions! Two families are headed to Vanuatu, praise God! And we learned that Vanuatu is in the top 20 countries most needing Bible translation, so we can use you too; come on over!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  All the attendees.  Their largest group yet!
  
  Presenting the ministry.
  
  All those going to Vanuatu, Lord-willing!  
  
  The Team
  
   Displays about Bible translation issues in what they call the Discovery Center.  
  
   Various words for "to carry" in a language.  They're all different based on what you're carrying and how - just imagine learning all of those!
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   Displays of John 3:16 in various languages with translated New Testaments around the world.  You can see the verse in each language, hear it read by a native speaker, and see a model of a real person from the language group.
  
  
   All the languages of the world - the language tree.
   
  The founder of Wycliffe.
  
  
  
  
  
• Houghton's solar training
  Gretchen made this smilebox with pics from Houghton's time in Colorado in Sept (while she and I were in N Carolina learning terrifying medical skills).  This stuff is so useful for us for sustaining ourselves in the 'bush' in Vanuatu.  So go Houghton for learning all this!  :)  Here's their pics that I stole, I mean borrowed, off their blog...