Thankful

A few weeks ago, I (Kaleb), had the opportunity to go on a paintball trip with the Lifelines team at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ.  They took out 15 guys from a fraternity.  It was great to see and experience how a trip is run and how they tied discussions in/challenged the guys after some rounds of playing.  We were with them for few hours and they played about 5 or 6 games.  Some games were organized to create different scenarios that would bring up the topic of trust for discussion.  During the discussion/debrief we talked about trust and how trust affects relationships with one another and God.  Some of the guys were really honest and it was great to see them open up and share how trust affects the brothers in the fraternity, with relationships in general, and with God.  A few guys indicated when leaving that they wanted the Lifelines staff to follow up with them to talk more.  Please be praying for two of the young men that the staff were able to meet up with and share more about the Gospel with.  Thank you Lord for opening the hearts of those students at NAU and that they want to hear more about you. 

Lifelines at NAU actually owns all the paintball equipment - so this makes it really easy to led a lot of paintball trips and really cheap for the students. 

Getting ready to start one of the games.

One of the games they played for fun.  Two teams were lined up opposite each other - the first guys in line had a sort of shoot out with each other until one of them was hit.  The guy that was hit was then "out."  The team with the most guys in their line at the end won.

The rest of this month has been really great!  Full of more appointments with people down here and we've been able to meet a lot of new folks recently that have been interested in hearing about what we are doing.  Every day it seems we learn more and more about continuing to have faith and trust in GOD's timing, and not our own.  He has been so good to provide and we have grown so much in our relationship with each other during this time - as well as - with HIM.  We are so thankful for that! 

Speaking of thankfulness....there is SO much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season!!  I don't think we could even begin to name them all, but...here are a few....

• We are SO thankful that during our time here in AZ, we have been able to spend so much time with family that lives here!  That has truly been a blessing since, once we leave, we don't know when we will get to see them again.  The quality time we've had with each of them has been so good and we have learned to value the time we have with them while here.  It could be a year or more once we leave before we see them all again (that's a long time to us :) )!
• We are thankful for what God has given us.  This sounds pretty broad, I'm sure, but since going on our overseas mission trip - we have learned to be thankful for even the "smallest" things.  I say "small" in quotations because to many others (most of the world), they are not.  It is a huge BLESSING to have clothes in our closet, shoes for our feet, food to eat, a car, money for gas to fill our car, a bed to sleep in...a pillow (I love my pillow ;) haha)...and well, you get the point.  We hope that you too will always remember to be thankful for the "small" things that can often times be so easy to look over or to take for granted.
• We are thankful for how God has grown our relationship with Him and with each other!  For those that are married, you might know (or could imagine), that it is quite the transition when you are used to working full time apart from each other - to working full time TOGETHER :).  It is a great thing, but there are many things you learn to work through very quickly as well as learning how to balance your time together.  We feel so blessed to have this time together and have already been able to look back at how God has grown each of us individually as well as together. 
• We are so incredibly thankful for those of you that have partnered with us!  We could not do this without your partnerships!  Whether through finances, helping us meet others, or through prayer.  It is with your support, encouragement and prayers that we are able to move forward and we thank God each day for you and how you have allowed Him to use you in our lives!  

Well, like I said above, we could go on and on about what we are thankful for, but a few is enough ;).  We hope and pray that each and every one of YOU has an incredible Thanksgiving!!!  And that you remember not just during this holiday, but everyday, just how much God has blessed you....even the "little" things :).  We hope your holiday is filled with lots of love, joy and yummy food ;).  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

On our camping trip for our one year anniversary this past month!  It was SOOOO great to camp for a night and get away to the great outdoors :).  What a wonderful anniversary!!